As early as 2020, book lovers have united on the social media platform Tiktok, creating a harmonious community of individuals from across the globe. The Booktok hashtag has gained major traction and now has over 120 billion views on the app, a feat that many trends have not been able to accomplish. While this community is beloved by readers for its never-ending flow of recommendations, my TBR (to be read) list is just shy of 300 books and my wallet is sobbing.
Genre Review:
Fiction is a vast genre that encompasses anything and everything to do with imaginary characters, settings, and events. One subsection mentioned below is Historical Fiction, which follows the same guidelines but also emphasizes a time period that was in the far past. Contemporary also closely follows the fiction definition, but it mostly relates to what the reader can experience in real life; The storyline will be relatively mundane and the characters could resemble the traits of people we meet daily. Fantasy books are also fiction, but they have a limited connection to reality, are not at all based in fact, and typically include magic or extraordinaries.
Young Adult, as a genre, essentially means that the book is catered to that age group, just like with New Adult books. In Young Adult novels, the main characters will most likely be under the age of 18 while New Adult novels generally follow the story of characters above the age of 18. Finally, Classics is quite a broad genre since it is determined to be well-known, usually older books. This genre normally includes novels that are beloved staples in book communities, such as foundation books (Dracula marks the start of vampire stories becoming popular) and literary works of excellence (Shakespeare’s numerous works).
THE Chosen one(s)
This selection of books was prepared based on highly discussed and loved books on Booktok and supported by Goodreads, an online database of books and their reviews. All of the following have been rated by real readers at an average of four or more stars and cover a variety of genres ranging from Contemporary to Thrillers to Fantasy. Some books aren’t for everyone and that is perfectly okay! Remember to support your favorite authors, join the #Booktok community, and ALWAYS check content warnings when book shopping.
- A Good Girl’s Guide to MUrder by Holly Jackson
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Goodreads Stars: 4.35
Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Crime
In this Young Adult Thriller, Pippa Fitz-Amobi takes on a 5-year-old murder case as her final year project with hopes of discovering the truth. With plot twists galore, you won’t know what hit you when reading this work of fiction.
“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.” ― Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
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Goodreads Stars: 4.34 and Nominee for Best Fiction (2015)
Genre: Fiction / Contemporary / LGBT
This novel follows the story of four college friends whose friendships with each other are challenged by their intertwined lives and individual pasts. This is a difficult book to read since it discusses numerous hard-hitting and life-changing events, but Yanagihara’s beautiful writing captures the depth of humanity and the pain of reality.
“What he knew, he knew from books, and books lied, they made things prettier.” ― Hanya Yanagihara, A Little Life
- Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
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Goodreads Stars: 4.29 and Nominee for Best Fantasy (2022)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Science Fiction / Fantasy
In 1828, Robin Swift travels to London and embarks on a journey to master Ancient Greek, Latin, and Chinese in anticipation of his enrollment at Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation, or Babel. Through the power of words and even a bit of magic, Robin discovers both his love and hatred of the institutions that aim to expand the British empire.
“That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.” ― R.F. Kuang, Babel: An Arcane History
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
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Goodreads Stars: 4.39
Genre: Historical Fiction / Classics / Young Adult
Liesel is living in 1939 Nazi Germany when she discovers her love of books and her affinity for stealing them. But life as she knows it is turned upside down when her foster family hides a Jewish man in their basement, proving that not everything works out the way it does in her books. This is a classic novel that has illuminated the horrors of the past and has become a staple in libraries worldwide.
“I am haunted by humans.” ― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
- Circe by Madeline Miller
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Goodreads Stars: 4.25 and Winner for Best Fantasy (2018)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mythology / Fantasy
Circe, daughter of the sun God Helios, is sent to a deserted island by Zeus when he discovers she possesses destructive powers of witchcraft. Her magic forces her to choose between the mortals she had come to love and the Gods she seems to belong with. Born from myth and shaped by mortal values, Circe explores the ideas of self-preservation and power at its core.
“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.” ― Madeline Miller, Circe
- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Goodreads Stars: 4.24 and Winner for Best Historical Fiction (2019)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Contemporary / New Adult
Daisy Jones and & The Six were once the most popular and beloved band before their fracture in 1979… but no one knew why they split up until now. Through an oral history format, this novel exposes what each band member and supporting characters remembers from their time together and how, despite their many differences, they all shared a love of music.
If you love the book (read the book first always), be sure to check out the amazing 10-episode TV Show on Amazon Prime starring Riley Keough and Sam Claflin and their album AURORA!
“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of f*cking story.” ― Taylor Jenkins Reid, Daisy Jones & The Six
- If We Were Villains by M.L Rio
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Goodreads Stars: 4.22
Genre: Mystery / Fiction / Contemporary
This novel is (my personal favorite so I am completely biased) a work of literary excellence. The reader follows the lives of seven actors during their time at Dellecher Classical Conservatory and experiences the characters’ collective spirals into their assigned roles. When the hero is murdered, is the villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, or extra to blame?
“‘Do you blame Shakespeare for any of it?’ The question is so unlikely, so nonsensical coming from such a sensible man, that I can’t suppress a smile. ‘I blame him for all of it,’ I say.” ― M.L. Rio, If We Were Villains
- The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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Goodreads Stars: 4.22 and Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2020)
Genre: Mystery / Young Adult / Fiction
Avery Grambs struggled through most of her adolescent life until the fateful day that she is left billions of dollars in the will of Tobias Hawthrone, a man she had never met. In this novel filled with riddles, games, and secrets, Avery Grambs and Tobias Hawthorne’s four grandsons embark on a journey to discover why the billionaire chose to leave his fortune in her name.
“Sometimes things that appear very different on the surface are actually exactly the same at their core.” ― Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Inheritance Games
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
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Goodreads Stars: 4.21 and Nominee for Best Fantasy (2020)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
The year is 1714, and in a moment of weakness, Adeline LaRue makes a bargain so that she can escape her burdens… but every wish comes with consequences; In exchange for immortal life, Adeline is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. This novel explores the delicacy of life and fragility of human interaction through the historical and cultural experiences of one woman during her long life.
“Being forgotten, she thinks, is a bit like going mad. You begin to wonder what is real, if you are real. After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered?” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
- Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
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Goodreads Stars: 4.33
Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Fiction
Macy is attempting to live her life the way she thought she had to: great job, nice man, secure future. But when her childhood best friend and epic love of her life comes back into the picture, her whole world is turned upside down. This novel follows a dual timeline: Macy and Elliot’s past and their present, and exhibits both the childhood friends to lovers and soulmate romance tropes. Is all-consuming love something to envy or fear?
“‘Favorite word?’ he whispers. I don’t even hesitate: ‘You.'” ― Christina Lauren, Love and Other Words
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
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Goodreads Stars: 4.12
Genre: Classics / Fiction / Horror
By encompassing himself in a life of crime and frivolity, Dorian Gray accomplishes his number one desire: to be beautiful and young forever. But as the days progress, Dorian’s freshly painted portrait grows more and more hideous, showcasing the evil that he has allowed to take over.
“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
- The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
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Goodreads Stars: 4.23 and Nominee for Best Fantasy (2019)
Genre: Fantasy /LGBT / Fiction
Ead Duryan serves Queen Sabran the Ninth during her rule and uses dark magic to do so while Tané, a trained dragonrider, has to choose what her future path will hold. When a dragon that threatens their world returns, will the two kingdoms be able to unite in protection of the greater good ? This novel ensnares four different points of views until they collide in a whirlwind of adventure including the defiance of gender norms and possibility of love.
“We may be small, and we may be young, but we will shake the world for our beliefs.” ― Samantha Shannon, The Priory of the Orange Tree
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
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Goodreads Stars: 4.12 and Winner for Best Romance (2019) / Winner for Best Debut Novel (2019)
Genre: LGBT / Romance / Contemporary
In this enemies to lovers and celebrity romance, a fake friendship is organized between First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry to smooth over relations between America and Britain. But when feelings run amiss, is sacrificing everything their families have worked for worth the reward of love?
“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that. History, huh? Bet we could make some.” ― Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Goodreads Stars: 4.45 and Nominee for Best Historical Fiction (2017)
Genre: Historical Fiction / Contemporary / New Audit
Evelyn Hugo has led a complicated, scandalous life and now she is ready to share her story… but only if Monique Grant writes it. From the mid-nineteen hundreds when she joined the show business to her inevitable descent from grace and her relationships along the way, Evelyn tells an eye-opening tale of love, life, and tragedy. Why does she decide to publicize her well-maintained secrets now? And why does she insist on Monique’s cooperation?
“It’s always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one, how someone can love you in a way that is beautifully selfless while serving themselves ruthlessly.” ― Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
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Goodreads Stars: 4.18 and Winner for Best Mystery & Thriller (2019) / Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2019)
Genre: Thriller / Mystery / Fiction
Life was normal for Alicia Berenson until her husband came home late from work and she killed him. No one can seem to get Alicia to talk, let alone explain why she did it, but Theo Faber is determined to get to the bottom of the case, trapping him in a web of mystery and deception.
“We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.” ― Alex Michaelides, The Silent Patient
- Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
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Goodreads Stars: 4.25 and Nominee for Best Romance (2022)
Genre: Romance / Contemporary / New Adult
Naomi, a runaway bride, finds her way to the town of Knockemout to help her sister… until she is robbed and left to care for her twins’ daughter. But Naomi isn’t completely on her own; Knox is Knockemout’s favorite, grumpy, bad boy, content with pretending Naomi doesn’t get under his skin. When their two worlds collide, will they be able to face the danger that intends to rip them apart? This novel boasts dual P.O.V.s, a grumpy x sunshine trope, and a fake dating trope, forming a beautiful trifecta.
“There’s a difference between taking care of someone because you love them and taking care of someone because you want them to love you,” ― Lucy Score, Things We Never Got Over
- Ugly Love By Colleen Hoover
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Goodreads Stars: 4.14 and Nominee for Best Romance (2014)
Genre: Contemporary / New Adult / Romance
When Tate Collins and Miles Archer meet, their love isn’t inevitable, but their attraction is enough to keep them interacting. After chapters of tension and an uncontrollable pull to be together, Tate and Miles form a no-strings-attached arrangement with only two rules: Never ask about the past, and don’t expect a future. But life isn’t as straightforward as they wish it was, and past tragedies threaten to unravel the delicate bond they have formed. This novel is the subject of major discourse in the “Booktok” community due to its content and the “romanticism” of a toxic relationship throughout the beginning and middle of the book. However, the opposing side of this argument states that reality cannot and should not be altered to fit into the expectations of readers. Read with care.
“Love isn’t always pretty. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it’ll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you’re back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way.” ― Colleen Hoover, Ugly Love
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Thanks for reading! Keep an eye out for the second installment of Booktok Recommendations: Spicy Edition ;)